the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the
land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from
the Asian land mass back to the ocean
Terrain: surface in the northern Pacific dominated by a clockwise, warm
water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by
a counterclockwise, cool water gyre; sea ice occurs in the Bering Sea and
Sea of Okhotsk during winter and reaches maximum northern extent from
Antarctica in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by
the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches;
the world's greatest depth is 10,924 meters in the Marianas Trench
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and
gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
Environment: endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion,
sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and
South China Sea; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in
the southwestern Pacific Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in
southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to
October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike
Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and
September); southern shipping lanes subject to icebergs from Antarctica;
occasional El Nino phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade
winds slacken and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, which
kills the plankton that is the primary food source for anchovies;
consequently, the anchovies move to better feeding grounds, causing resident
marine birds to starve by the thousands because of their lost food source
Note: the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal,
Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean
into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships subject to
superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May and in extreme south
from May to October; persistent fog in the northern Pacific from June to
December is a hazard to shipping; surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic
and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire
- Economy
Overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world
economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch.
It provides cheap sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing
grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the
construction industry. In 1985 over half (54%) of the world's total fish catch
came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the only ocean where the fish catch
has increased every year since 1978. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas
reserves is playing an ever increasing role in the energy supplies of Australia,
New Zealand, China, US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil
and gas, combined with the lower world prices for oil since 1985, has slowed
but not stopped new drillings.
Industries: fishing, oil and gas production
- Communications
Ports: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Los Angeles (US),
Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US),
Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (USSR),
Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
Telecommunications: several submarine cables with network focused
on Guam and Hawaii
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Pakistan
- Geography
Total area: 803,940 km2; land area: 778,720 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 6,774 km total; Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km,
India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
Coastline: 1,046 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: boundary with India; Pashtun question with Afghanistan; Baloch
question with Afghanistan and Iran; water sharing problems with upstream
riparian India over the Indus
Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in
north
Terrain: flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west
Natural resources: land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited
crude oil, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Land use: 26% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and
pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 64% other; includes 19% irrigated
Environment: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in
north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August);
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water logging
Note: controls Khyber Pass and Malakand Pass, traditional
invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
- People
Population: 114,649,406 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 57 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Pakistani(s); adjective--Pakistani
Ethnic divisions: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch,
Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendents)
Religion: 97% Muslim (77% Sunni, 20% Shia), 3% Christian, Hindu, and
other
Language: Urdu and English (official); total spoken languages--64%
Punjabi, 12% Sindhi, 8% Pashtu, 7% Urdu, 9% Balochi and other; English is
lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but
official policies are promoting its gradual replacement by Urdu
Literacy: 26%
Labor force: 28,900,000; 54% agriculture, 13% mining and manufacturing,
33% services; extensive export of labor (1987 est.)
Organized labor: about 10% of industrial work force
- Government
Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Type: parliamentary with strong executive, federal republic
Capital: Islamabad
Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, 1 tribal area*, and 1 territory**;
Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad
Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh; note--the
Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region
includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK; formerly West Pakistan)
Constitution: 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977,
restored 30 December 1985
Legal system: based on English common law with provisions to accommodate
Pakistan's stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Pakistan Day (proclamation of the republic),
23 March (1956)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Legislature (Mijlis-e-Shoora)
consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shariat) Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan (since 13 December 1988);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Benazir BHUTTO (since 2 December 1988)
Political parties and leaders:
Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto;
Pakistan Muslim League (PML), former Prime Minister Mohammed Khan Junejo;
PML is the main party in the anti-PPP Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA);
Muhajir Quami Movement, Altaf Hussain; Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam
(JUI), Fazlur Rahman; Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain Ahmed;
Awami National Party (ANP), Khan Abdul Wali Khan
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections:
President--last held on 12 December 1988 (next to be held
December 1993); results--Ghulam Ishaq Khan was elected by the Federal
Legislature;
Senate--last held March 1988 (next to be held March 1990);
results--elected by provincial assemblies;
seats--(87 total) PML 84, PPP 2, independent 1;
National Assembly--last held on 16 November 1988 (next to be held
November 1993);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(237 total) PPP 109, IJI 65, MQM 14, JUI 8, PAI 3, ANP 3, BNA 3,
others 3, independents 29
Communists: the Communist party is no longer outlawed and operates
openly
Other political or pressure groups: military remains dominant political
force; ulema (clergy), industrialists, and small merchants also influential
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OIC,
SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Zulfikar ALI KHAN; Chancery at
2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6200;
there is a Pakistani Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Robert B. OAKLEY; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5,
Islamabad (mailing address is P. O. Box 1048, Islamabad);
telephone [92] (51) 8261-61 through 79; there are US Consulates General
in Karachi and Lahore, and a Consulate in Peshawar
Flag: green with a vertical white band on the hoist side; a large white
crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color
green are traditional symbols of Islam
- Economy
Overview: Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual
problems of rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits,
and heavy dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a
large military establishment and provide for the needs of 4 million Afghan
refugees. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent years has enabled
the country to cope with these problems. Almost all agriculture and small-scale
industry is in private hands, and the government seeks to privatize a portion
of the large-scale industrial enterprises now publicly owned. In
December 1988, Pakistan signed a three-year economic reform agreement
with the IMF, which provides for a reduction in the government deficit
and a liberalization of trade in return for further IMF financial
support. The so-called Islamization of the economy has affected mainly the
financial sector; for example, a prohibition on certain types of interest
payments. Pakistan almost certainly will make little headway against its
population problem; at the current rate of growth, population would
double in 32 years.
GNP: $43.2 billion, per capita $409; real growth rate 5.1% (FY89)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (FY89)
Unemployment rate: 4% (FY89 est.)
Budget: revenues $7.5 billion; expenditures $10.3 billion,
including capital expenditures of $2.3 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., FY89); commodities--rice, cotton,
textiles, clothing; partners--EC 31%, US 11%, Japan 11% (FY88)
Imports: $7.2 billion (f.o.b., FY89); commodities--petroleum,
petroleum products, machinery, transportation, equipment, vegetable oils,
animal fats, chemicals; partners--EC 26%, Japan 15%, US 11% (FY88)
External debt: $17.4 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (FY89)
Electricity: 7,575,000 kW capacity; 29,300 million kWh produced,
270 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, petroleum products,
construction materials, clothing, paper products, international finance, shrimp
Agriculture: 24% of GNP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest
contiguous irrigation system; major crops--cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane,
fruits, and vegetables; livestock products--milk, beef, mutton, eggs;
self-sufficient in food grain
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the
international drug trade; government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation
of limited success; 1988 output of opium and hashish each estimated at about
200 metric tons
Aid: (including Bangladesh before 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $4.2 billion authorized (excluding what is now Bangladesh); Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $7.5 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-88),
$2.9 billion
Currency: Pakistani rupee (plural--rupees);
1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1--21.420 (January 1990),
20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988), 17.399 (1987), 16.648 (1986), 15.928 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications
Railroads: 8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km meter
gauge, and 610 km narrow gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km
electrified; all government owned (1985)
Highways: 101,315 km total (1987); 40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel,
29,000 km improved earth, and 9,160 km unimproved earth or sand tracks
(1985)
Pipelines: 250 km crude oil; 4,044 km natural gas; 885 km refined products
(1987)
Ports: Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 338,173
GRT/508,107 DWT; includes 4 passenger-cargo, 24 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils,
and lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 30 major transport aircraft
Airports: 115 total, 102 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; 1
with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international radiocommunication service over
microwave and INTELSAT satellite; domestic radio communications poor; broadcast
service good; 564,500 telephones (1987); stations--16 AM, 8 FM, 16;
satellite eath station--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 26,215,898; 16,080,545 fit for military
service; 1,282,294 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 5.6% of GNP, or $2.4 billion (1989 est.)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Palmyra Atoll
(territory of the US)
- Geography
Total area: 11.9 km2; land area: 11.9 km2
Comparative area: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 14.5 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Terrain: low, with maximum elevations of about 2 meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
100% forest and woodland; 0% other
Environment: about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation,
coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific
Ocean, almost halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa
- People
Population: uninhabited
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but
administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs,
US Department of the Interior
- Economy
Overview: no economic activity
- Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage in West Lagoon
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Panama
- Geography
Total area: 78,200 km2; land area: 75,990 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: 555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline: 2,490 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May
to January), short dry season (January to May)
Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland
plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
Land use: 6% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 15% meadows and
pastures; 54% forest and woodland; 23% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: dense tropical forest in east and northwest
Note: strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming
land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that
links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
- People
Population: 2,425,400 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Panamanian(s); adjective--Panamanian
Ethnic divisions: 70% mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry),
14% West Indian, 10% white, 6% Indian
Religion: over 93% Roman Catholic, 6% Protestant
Language: Spanish (official); 14% speak English as native tongue; many
Panamanians bilingual
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 770,472 (1987); 27.9% government and community services;
26.2% agriculture, hunting, and fishing; 16% commerce, restaurants, and hotels;
10.5% manufacturing and mining; 5.3% construction; 5.3% transportation and
communications; 4.2% finance, insurance, and real estate; 2.4% Canal Zone;
shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Organized labor: 17% of labor force (1986)
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Panama
Type: centralized republic
Capital: Panama
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia)
and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon,
Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, Veraguas
Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent
from Spain 28 November 1821)
Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema
de Justica) currently being reorganized
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Guillermo ENDARA
(since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989);
First Vice President Ricardo Arias CALDERON (since 20 December 1989,
elected 7 May 1989);
Second Vice President Guillermo FORD (since 20 December 1989,
elected 7 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Government alliance--Authentic Liberal Party (PLA); faction of Authentic
Panamenista Party (PPA), Guillermo Endara; Christian Democrat Party
(PDC), Ricardo Arias Calderon; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement
(MOLIRENA), Alfredo Ramirez; former Noriegist parties--Democratic
Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official government party), Carlos Duque;
Labor Party (PALA), Ramon Sieiro Murgas; People's Party (PdP,
Soviet-oriented Communist party), Ruben Dario Sousa Batista; Democratic
Workers Party; National Action Party (PAN);
other opposition parties--Popular Nationalist Party (PNP),
Olimpo A. Saez Maruci; factions of the former Liberal and Republican
parties; Popular Action Party (PAP), Carlos Ivan Zuniga; Socialist Workers
Party (PST, leftist), Jose Cambra; Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, leftist),
Graciela Dixon
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
President--last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next
to be held May 1994);
results--anti-Noriega coalition believed to have won about 75% of the
total votes cast;
Legislative Assembly--last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later
upheld; in process of reorganization (next to be held May 1994);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(67 total) the Electoral Tribunal has confirmed 58 of the
67 seats--PDC 27, MOLIRENA 15, PLA 6, Noriegist PRD 7, PPA 3;
legitimate holders of the other 9 seats cannot be determined and a
special election will be held
Communists: People's Party (PdP), pro-Noriega regime mainline Communist
party, did not obtain the necessary 3% of the total vote in the 1984 election
to retain its legal status; about 3,000 members
Other political or pressure groups: National Council of Organized
Workers (CONATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP);
Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE)
Member of: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD,
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IRC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat
Council, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eduardo VALLARINO;
Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 483-1407; the status of the Consulates General and Consulates has
not yet been determined;
US--Ambassador Deane R. HINTON; Embassy at Avenida Balboa and
Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5 (mailing address is Box E,
APO Miami 34002); telephone [507] 27-1777
Flag: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white
with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the
bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed
star in the center
- Economy
Overview: The GDP contracted an estimated 7.5% in 1989, following a
drop of 20% in 1988. Political instability, lack of credit, and the
erosion of business confidence prompted declines of 20-70% in the
financial, agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, and construction
sectors between 1987 and 1989. Transits through the Panama Canal were
off slightly, as were toll revenues. Unemployment remained about 23%
during 1989. Imports of foodstuffs and crude oil increased during 1989,
but capital goods imports continued their slide. Exports were widely
promoted by Noriega trade delegations, but sales abroad remained
stagnant.
GDP: $3.9 billion, per capita $1,648; real growth rate - 7.5%
(1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 0.1% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 23% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $598 million; expenditures $750 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $220 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--bananas 40%,
shrimp 27%, coffee 4%, sugar, petroleum products;
partners--US 90%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)
Imports: $830 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--foodstuffs
16%, capital goods 9%, crude oil 16%, consumer goods, chemicals;
partners--US 35%, Central America and Caribbean, EC,
Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)
External debt: $5.2 billion (November 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 4.1% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,270 million kWh produced,
1,380 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining,
brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills, paper products
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (1989 est.), 26% of labor
force (1987); crops--bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock;
fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables, milk products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $515 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87),
$568 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $4 million
Currency: balboa (plural--balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1--1.000 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter
gauge